Hawkeye #20Review

Arson, murder, costume accurate frame jobs --Kate Bishop's mosey through Los Angeles has been a long and eventful one. Her story comes to its end here in Hawkeye #20, as does the book's collaboration between Matt Fraction and Annie Wu. The two creators ensure that their final pairing is their best yet, delivering a slick but affecting issue.

Some may take issue with Fraction's long and somewhat meandering segue from Clint Barton's continued adventures, but overall his dovetail into the world of Kate Bishop is smart and well executed. While not a particularly happy issue, Fraction succeeds in making Kate a real, flawed character behind the endless quips and deadly aim. Her crusade against Madam Masque reveals someone lost and looking for something, and while she doesn't necessarily find it, she does learn that she doesn't have to look alone. Fraction balances the heart and heartache with his usual pointed levity, but ultimately he's not afraid to raise his characters by letting them fall. A lot.

Finally, there's Wu. The artist turns in a phenomenal issue, her pages loaded with panels, each just as fun and visually arresting as the last. Her panel work is very smooth, even with the added number, ably guiding the eye and tracking the passage of time using visual cues. The opening montage featuring potential clients is particularly well executed, especially when used in concert with Fraction's amusing dialogue. Really, the script as a whole benefits from Wu's gift for subtle nuance. Her facial contortions and physical quirks are fantastic -- you can tell the mood and general demeanor of Kate just by looking at her, no small feat when that mood changes every three panels.

Amazing

Matt Fraction brings Kate Bishop's tale to its impactful end and Annie Wu goes out in style.